For most students at Berkeley, the tragedy of Sept. 11 is the greatest
trauma of their young lives, said George Breslauer, dean of social sciences
in the College of Letters and Science.

To help them sort out this devastating event, Breslauer and Michael Johns, chair of the geography department, are co-teaching “Sept. 11: Causes, Consequences and Policy Implications.”

“Michael and I want to provide an interactive forum for students to analyze why this happened, how it was accomplished and what the future holds,” says Breslauer. “We want the class to be like a conversation, where we can think the issues through together.”

In the wake of Sept. 11, students — like many others — have expressed strong opinions about the causes of terrorism, the curbing of civil liberties and the prevention of future attacks. Breslauer hopes the class will encourage them to analyze their positions.

“We want to make students more self-conscious thinkers,” he says. “We should all be willing to change our minds as new information presents itself.”

Breslauer and Johns, who describe their politics as “middle-of-the-road,” said their purpose is not to “proselytize or propagandize,” but to stimulate critical thinking.

Some people believe that scholars are obliged to be critical of government, says Breslauer. “But we want to give students the intellectual space to make their own decisions. Our job as academics is to always question.”